Falling Headfirst
by ALovelyBunchOfCoconuts
Summary: Gwen sighed contently as she set down Inheritance. "I wish I could go there," she said to herself. She was sitting on her bed in her room thinking about the ending when, suddenly, the book opened and the pages started turning as if the wind was blowing them. The pages reached the end and stopped. She peered closer to the book… and was falling headfirst.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: This is my first multi-chapter fic and the first one that is mostly serious. Please be kind, but also critique. I will take it with a gracious heart. I really hope you like it and will review with your thoughts.**

Falling Headfirst

Chapter 1

"A smile crept across his face."

"And the ship sailed onward, gliding serenely down the moonlit river toward the dark lands beyond."

"THE END"

Gwen sighed contently as she set down _Inheritance_. She couldn't believe it was finally over. Years of waiting and reading had all ended. "I wish I could go there," she said to herself. She knew it was impossible, but one could only wish.

She was sitting on her bed in her room thinking about the ending when, suddenly, the book and the pages started turning as if the wind was blowing them. The pages reached the end and stopped. She peered closer to the book… and was falling. All around her was black. She fell for what felt like hours. Somewhere during that time, she passed out.

When she came to, she was lying on ground. People were rushing around her, either paying her no attention, or staring at her. She sat up and looked around. It looked like she was sitting in some sort of medieval city. The houses around her were made of mud and thatched roofs, but further in the houses and other buildings were made of stone. There were walls surrounding the city at least three hundred feet high. The weird part was there was a shelf covering most of the city.

Gwen stood up and started walking. She was sore all over, but was able to make it to the better part of the city. People were staring at her. She tried to not pay them any attention. She had no idea where she was. _Maybe I'm at a renaissance fair_, she thought. She headed for the citadel near the back part of the city. Maybe someone there could tell her what is going on.

She reached the citadel and was about to open the doors when two guards stopped her.

"What do you think you are doing?" they asked her.

"I was just trying to find someone who could tell me where I am," she replied.

"You are in Ilirea, formerly Urû'Baen," one of the guards said. "Anyone around here could have told you that. Why are you dressed like that? Are you a spy? You do not sound like you are from around here. I think we should take her to the queen." The other guard agreed and took her roughly by the arm. They marched through the citadel and into a throne room with one throne sitting on a raised dais. On the throne sat a young woman in her early twenties with dark skin and almond eyes.

"Your Highness," the guard started, "we found this girl in front of the palace trying to get in. Her clothes are very peculiar; we thought you might want to see her."

"Bring her here," the Queen said.

They brought Gwen up to the steps and made her kneel in front of the Queen. Gwen looked up. The Queen had the most striking resemblance to what Gwen thought Nasuada from Eragon looked like. She whispered "Nasuada" and the queen looked down at her.

"What did you say?" she asked.

"Nasuada," Gwen said.

"You do not address your queen in such an informal manner," the guard said in a reproving tone.

"You seem to know more than you let on for not knowing where you are," the Queen said standing up and walking around her. "Tell me, what business do you have here?"

"Business? I don't have any business here. I don't even know how I got here. One second I was reading and the next I am falling and then I am lying on the ground in a city I have never been to before," Gwen was in hysterics. Somehow she had found a way to enter this world. It frightened he, but there was one part of her brain that said _didn't you want this? Weren't you wishing that you wanted to come here? Here is your chance, embrace it._

"I don't believe you. It would take great magic to do that. Do you possess magic?" The Queen asked.

"No, I don't possess magic. You have to believe me… I can tell you anything," she needed to believe me. I needed to find a way to get home. "I know where I am now. I can tell you about Eragon or the Varden. I could tell you about Oromis and Glaedr." The queen paused; Gwen continued. "I know about them and Murtagh and Thorn. I know everything."

"How?" her voice was wavering. She didn't know what to make of this girl who came out of nowhere claiming to know about secrets that only few knew.

"I come from a different world, a world where everything that has happened here has been written down in books. Everyone knows your and Eragon's name."

"Who is the author of these books?"

"Christopher Paolini." Her face drained of color.

To her guards, the Queen said, "Find the scribe and his sister." She went back to her throne and sat down. She started rubbing her temples.

Not long after she sent her guards away, they came back with a man and a woman. The only difference between the two was that the woman had dark, curly hair whereas the man had dark, straight hair. They were both tall and thin. They both knelt and said, "Your Highness."

The Queen stood up again and said, "I called you here because this girl claims she is from a different world. She also claims that in her world, everything that has happened here is written down in books with you as its author. Is this true?"

"It is true, milady. I never thought that a person from my world would ever be able to come here, so I wrote them. I am sorry," the man said. He turned to Gwen and asked, "How did you get here?"

"I don't know. I finished reading the last book and said 'I wish I could go there' and then I ended up here," Gwen replied.

The man, who she was now certain was Christopher Poalini, thought about that for a second, then said, "I believe you bought my copy of the book. It is the one that lets me travel here."

"How am I going to get home?"

"There is the question right there. I don't know. You don't have the book with you by any chance?"

"No, it is back at home on my bed. How did you get back and forth?"

"I brought a book with me." He said simply.

The Queen cleared her throat. "I think we can all agree that… I am sorry, I never got your name. You must think I am terribly rude. What is it?"

"Gwendolyn, but everyone calls me Gwen," she replied.

The Queen started again, "I think we can all agree that _Gwen_ cannot go back home. Therefore, we need to find somewhere for her to stay and," looking Gwen over, "find more appropriate clothes."

"My Queen, if I might make a suggestion," said Christopher, "that she might stay with Jeod. I am sure he would not mind."

"Yes, that is a good idea. Angela and Christopher please take Gwen to Jeod's house and make sure she is comfortable."

They bowed and the siblings led Gwen out the doors and into a courtyard. From there, they made so many turns, Gwen did not have a chance of remembering where they were going. While they were walking, Gwen made a discovery. "You are Angela from the book, right?"

"Very good, although I am surprised it took you so long. You look like an intelligent girl. Yes, I am Angela the herbalist. I came from the same world as you, but I prefer this world and I will not go jumping worlds like a toad… excuse me, frog like my brother here," she said with a look to her brother.

"I always knew you liked Angela," Gwen said to Christopher. "Even in your books you showed favorites." He just smiled.

They finally arrived at Joed's house. It was almost midnight and very dark. They had spent more time in the palace than Gwen thought. Angela knocked on the door. In no time, a man came to the door.

"May I help you?" the man asked.

"We are here to see Jeod," replied Angela.

"Wait here, please," the butler said and left. When he returned, another man came with him. This was obviously Jeod.

"Angela, Christopher, what are you doing here at this late hour?" Jeod asked.

"We have come to ask a favor of you," Christopher responded and moved Gwen in front of him. "This girl, Gwen, is from our world. She came here by accident and needs a place to stay. Do you think you could take her in?"

Jeod didn't hesitate, "Of course! It's not like we don't have anywhere to put her, our house is so big, it's almost too big." He ushered her into his house. Angela and Christopher said goodbye and left with the promise that they will be back tomorrow to see how she is doing. Joed led her up stairs and down a hall to my room.

"I will have a seamstress come over tomorrow to make you clothes, but for now, my wife will not mind if you borrow some of hers. And you are probably starving; I will have a butler bring up food. For now, you have probably had a trying day. Get some rest and I will see you in the morning," Jeod said and turned to leave.

"Jeod," Gwen said and he turned around, "thank you. You took me in without any questions."

"My dear, I would of never let someone stay out in the cold." With that, he left.

Gwen looked around her room. There was a bed on the far wall with a table next to it, a wash stand to my right, and a few paintings of different parts of Alagaёsia, or so she thought. The butler brought food and night clothes, and after changing, eating and washing, she went to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The next morning, Gwen woke up disoriented. It took her a moment to figure out where she was. She remembered everything that happened yesterday. She stayed in bed for a little while longer trying to wrap her head around everything she witnessed. She was here, really here. The books she thought were just fantasy were actually real stories. She basked in that thought until her stomach growled. She got out of bed and found clothes laying out for her. It took her a while to figure out how to put them on, but she figured it out eventually. She washed her face again and pulled her brown hair back with a ribbon she found with the clothes.

She headed down the hall and down the stairs they had taken last night. As she was going down the stairs, she ran into the butler.

"Master Jeod and Mistress Helen are in the parlor. They just asked me to come and get you. This way please," the butler said stiffly and pointed out which way she should go. Once she got to the parlor, she thanked the butler and he left. Opening the door, she found Jeod reading a book and sipping some tea while his wife sat with a roll of parchment and was writing something.

"Gwen, that didn't take long," Jeod said as she walked in.

"I was already dressed when the butler came in," she replied.

"This is my wife, Helen," he gestured to her.

"Pleasure to meet you," Helen said.

"Thank you for letting me borrow your clothes, Helen, they are greatly appreciated," Gwen said.

"It was nothing. You need them more than I do. Please, come have some breakfast."

Before Gwen could say anything, Jeod said, "I was thinking we could go see some of Ilirea today, if that is alright with you."

"Of course it is fine with me!" she exclaimed.

"Well that's settled. I have a seamstress coming after breakfast to take your measurements, but after that we can head out," Jeod brought a chair up and gave her my breakfast and then went back to his reading. They sat in companionable silence until she was finished.

Like Jeod said, the seamstress came right after breakfast. It didn't take long for her to take Gwen's measurements and soon they were on their way to tour Ilirea. Jeod stopped at all the noteworthy shops and markets. She bought a beautiful bag at one of the market stands. They also stopped by Angela's, who had set up her herbal shop in the city. It was just like how she imagined it. Vines covering the windows and most of the walls, nick-knacks and thingamajigs scattered everywhere, even Solembum made his appearance.

At about noon, they ate lunch at a local pub and then headed for the palace. They met up with Nasuada, who asked how she was settling in, to which she replied, "Fine, thank you." They would have talked longer, but Nasuada had a meeting she was about to be late for and had to leave. On her way out, Nasuada told Gwen she could visit the dragon eggs.

"You must be very special if you can see the eggs," Jeod said. "Not many people are given permission unless it is their turn to touch them."

"Can we go see them now?" she asked.

"Of course. It's a good thing I am one of the keepers of the eggs, I know where to go," Jeod replied.

They walked through corridors until they reached steep, curving steps.

"Ladies first," Jeod said politely. They descended the staircase until they reached the bottom. The hallways looked like they were mined instead of built. _Which is probably true considering how deep we are,_ Gwen thought.

At the end of the hallway double doors stood with guards on both sides. The guards opened the doors as they walked towards them. Inside were dozens of eggs of every size and color. Gwen walked around, staring at each one. They were all so beautiful.

As she walked, one egg in particular held her eye. A large white egg, so white it was almost translucent. It had a pearlescent sheen so every angle she looked, there were different colors. She turned around. Jeod was talking to the guards, all looking away. No one was paying any attention to her. She reached her hand out, and touched it. The egg was smooth as ice, but warm to the touch. She drew her hand away quickly lest she be discovered by the guards or Jeod. She couldn't understand it, but she felt drawn to this egg. She had to come back to see it. _Tonight, _she thought, _I will come back and see it tonight._ After looking around a little more and stealing a few more glances at the white egg, Jeod came up to her and told her it was time to leave. They walked back up the stairs and down many corridors, but this time she paid attention to where they were going so she would be able to make it on her own next time.

"How was your day out in town?" Helen asked Gwen as they sat down for dinner.

"It was amazing!" she said excitedly. Immediately, she started going over the things she did. When she got to the part with the dragon eggs, she suddenly gasped and said, "Jeod, I left my bag in the room with the eggs! I need to go get it right away."

"I don't remember a bag…" he began.

"That's because I left it in the egg room. Remember? I bought it in the market. May I go get it?"

"Sure, let's finish eating and I will go with you."

"You don't need to trouble yourself; I know how to get there. Besides, I will just be a moment," she said and stood up.

"If you think so, but Ilirea is not the safest place even if it was better than it was. Please be careful."

"I will," she said and left. She walked down the road, making sure she knew exactly where she was going. When Gwen got to the palace, the guards stopped her and asked, "Where do you think you are going, miss?"

"I forgot something when I was here earlier and came back to get it," she replied. They let Gwen in without a complaint. She retraced my steps from earlier and soon found the stairway to the egg room. She was in luck, the same two guards from this afternoon. After giving the guards the same excuse, she was able to get into the room. She made straight for the white egg. As she was touching it, she noticed faint cracks along the surface. The cracks became bigger… and bigger… and bigger until there was a hole on the top of the egg. Faint chirping noises came out from the egg. She read Eragon enough times to know what was happening. The dragon was hatching.

From the hole in the top of the egg came a little white head. Behind it a long neck came out and before too long, the rest of its body. It turned to look at her with big pale blue eyes. She reached out her hand and the dragon stretched out its neck. When they touched, icy blackness swirled all around her mind and enveloped her. She fell to the ground.

When Gwen awoke, her head was ringing. Her mind felt like it had been pried open and able to be viewed by the world and vice versa. There was a tendril of thought touching her mind; it was scared. She sat up and looked around. She was lying in the dragon egg room and one of the guards was crouched next to her. Everything had happened in the blink of an eye. She looked at her palm; a gedwёy ignasia was faintly glowing in the middle of her hand. One question remained, where was her dragon? She looked around and finally found it crouched behind some of the other eggs. She breathed a sigh of relief. The guard looked at her, puzzled.

"What happened?" he asked. Instead of telling him, she raised her hand. She could see the shock in his face. Ignoring him, she walked slowly over to where her dragon was hiding. She held her hand out and it came. She picked it up. The guard was now flabbergasted. "How?" was all he could say. She picked up her bag that she had come for and was able to fit her dragon in it telling it to stay still so it doesn't rip.

"Can I take the dragon home? We can sort things out in the morning, right?" she asked tiredly. All the guard could do was nod. "Tell Nasuada whatever you like, the dragon is mine now." With that, she left. The walk home was hard enough without a squirming dragon, who was sending you an angry vibe in her mind, in your bag. She took many wrong turns and had to backtrack. She almost ran into the Queen at one point. She hid behind a corner and waited until the coast was clear. At last, she made it to the exit. She walked right passed the guards only looking at them and the bag to show them she found it and walked back to Jeod's. She knocked on the door and Jeod answered it and said, "Oh, that bag. Did you find it okay?"

She stepped through the doorway and replied, "Yeah, I found it just fine. If you will, I am very tired and would like to go to my room."

"Of course, anything you like," he said.

She didn't like going behind Jeod's back like this. He had been so nice to her, but she did not want him to be upset so she said, "Thank you. Can you please; I did not eat very much for dinner. Do you think I could have some food in my room? Preferably meat." Jeod said it would be no problem, we said our goodnights and she went upstairs into her room.

After shutting the door, she, very carefully, reached inside her bag and pulled out her now sleeping dragon. She put the dragon on the bed, at which point it had groggily woken up. The dragon was looking around her room and taking everything. She could feel the dragon's curiosity through their link. A knock came from the door which she promptly cracked open. It was the butler holding a tray of food. She took the food and thanked the butler. He turned and walked away without a word. Closing the door, she took the food over to her dragon and held up an appetizing portion of roast. The dragon snapped it up, swallowing it whole. There were other things on the plate too so while the dragon ate the meat, Gwen ate the rest. With bellies full, they both lay down on the bed and fell fast asleep, nestled against each other.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The next morning, Gwen woke up to the sound of someone knocking on her door. She hurriedly put on a simple dress and answered the door. The butler stood behind it and told her that her presence was requested by Jeod in the parlor. He also gave her the clothes the seamstress had made yesterday. Thanking him, she closed her door and looked at her bed. Her dragon was still sleeping peacefully. What was she going to do with it? Nasuada was probably already told of the situation and she probably told Jeod which was probably the reason why he called her down there. She decided to take her dragon downstairs with her. Quickly, she changed into one of her own dresses, which fit perfectly, and waking her dragon, she picked it up and put it on her shoulder like a parrot. The dragon seemed to like it there as it dug her claws into Gwen's dress. With a heavy sigh, Gwen opened the door and walked down to the parlor.

Inside, it wasn't just Jeod, but Nasuada as well. Hastily bowing, Gwen made her way over to the empty chair while Jeod stared at the baby dragon in shock. Nasuada was able to keep her cool a little bit better, her face only registering mild surprise. For a few minutes they sat in uncomfortable silence until Gwen broke it saying, "What happens now?"

Nasuada answered, "The dragon has hatched for you; you will become a Rider."

"Am I in trouble?" Gwen asked hesitantly.

Jeod shook his head, "Of course not, why would you think that?"

"Because I touched one of the dragon eggs and the Queen is here," she replied. Her dragon snuggled closer to her, comforting her with her thoughts. She started petting it.

"Obviously, this is an extremely delicate situation to which I have given a lot of thought since I was told. I suggest we talk to Eragon; he will tell you what to do. I have no doubt in my mind that you will make a fine Dragon Rider," Nasuada said and stood up to leave. "If you would come with me, I will take you now to speak with him. If you would, take your dragon with you, but please hide it away for now. We don't want to give these people reasons to gossip now, do we?"

Gwen rose and followed Nasuada out the door. With a quick trip to her room to grab her bag, placing her dragon inside, she headed out the door and into the crowded streets of the city. Since it was so crowded, no one noticed as Nasuada walked by. They reached the palace and headed up to an empty room save for a small mirror mounted on the wall. With a few words, in what Gwen knew had to be the Ancient Language, spoken by Nasuada, the mirror rippled and a new face appeared, staring back at us. This new face, belonging to an elf judging by the ears, was young by the looks of him (though you can never tell with an elf) with short black hair and angled eyes and eyebrows. Saying a few words in the ancient language, the elf also said, "Greetings, Lady Nasuada. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

The Queen said, "I would like to speak with Eragon. Can you get him for me?"

"Of course, my Lady, but please forgive me if I take a while. Eragon has been working very hard these past few weeks with new recruits; it is hard to tear him apart from his work," the elf replied.

"Take as long as you need, we will wait." The elf murmured in acknowledgement and left the mirror. After a few minutes of waiting, Gwen turned to Nasuada and asked, "How long has it been since Eragon left?"

"He left a year ago from today, actually," replied Nasuada.

"How many students does he have?"

"There are eleven Riders between the races: humans, I think about four; Dwarves, just one; no Urgals yet, though they are trying; and about six elves. Two months ago, two dragons hatched in one week. The first ever Dwarf rider."

"Does he have a place to train them? When the book left off, he was just setting out."

"I forget you do not know these things. Yes, he most certainly does have a place, the perfect spot actually. It has plenty of wildlife to feed the Dragons and their riders, and fertile land to plant crops. The terrain is mostly mountainous, but they have managed to find a valley large enough to house all of the students and their dragons. There is also a cave that the Eldunarí have now called their home. It is close enough that they can help Eragon teach, but far enough away to give them space to become Riders of a new age. All in all, he made the right choice in leaving, and we can still stay in contact through this mirror."

"Wow, so much has happened now, maybe Christopher shouldn't have stayed here, but kept on writing. I know I was disappointed when it was over. That's why I came here. To live it, unintentionally of course, but this has been the best experience I could have asked for," Gwen said.

Someone was moving in the mirror. She was finally going to get to see Eragon (insert mental girly scream here). When he came to stand in front of the mirror, her first thought is that her imagination did not do him justice. His face gave off a wisdom that could only come from teaching. His brown eyes were full of joy and happiness; he looked content. "Hello, Your Majesty, you wanted to see me?" Eragon asked.

"Yes, I have a situation for you; I need your input," The Queen replied.

"Whatever you need," he responded. Nasuada moved Gwen so she was in Eragon's view and he was able to see the dragon.

"A new Rider? Of course it is great that there is another dragon, but why did you need me?" Eragon said.

"It is complicated," said Nasuada. "You see, she comes from the same world as Christopher, but a dragon hatched for her. This is unprecedented, and I am at a loss at what to do. What do you think?"

Eragon thought for a moment, and then said, "I don't see any reason why we cannot train her. A dragon hatched for her which means she is here for a purpose. Send her to Arya when the dragon is large enough to ride like usual. She will not be treated any different here. Is that all, Your Majesty?"

"Yes, the dragon is only two days old, so she will not be with you for some time. Thank you for your time, Eragon," Nasuada said.

"Always a pleasure," Eragon said. The mirror shimmered and they were looking at themselves again. Silence followed his departure. They left the mirror room and went to the kitchens, for by now, they were all starving. After eating a quick lunch of cheese and bread (and meat for the dragon) Gwen and her dragon were on their way back to Jeod's house with specific instructions from Nasuada to stay there the rest of the day. Jeod gave them a tour of the house since they had not seen very much of it, ending in the library. After finding a few good books, Gwen returned to her room with her dragon to endure what would be a very long day.

An hour later, Gwen tossed another book aside, giving up trying to read the handwritten script on the page. She spent the rest of her time talking with her dragon. It responded with different emotional thoughts and pictures, and she would sometimes do the same. They talked about her world, this world, and everything in between. The main thing she talked about though was what to name her dragon. She couldn't go around calling the dragon "it" or "dragon", she needed to find it a proper name. That meant finding out if the dragon was a boy or a girl. From what she remembered about Eragon, she could not tell until it started talking. But that did not mean she couldn't think about names now. Obviously she couldn't name it some ordinary name like "Amy" or "Fred", and she hadn't been in this world long enough to get common names here. She looked around the room for inspiration, and found it. She picked up the book she had put down and started leafing through it, trying to find good names. It turned out that the book was about dragons. She toyed around with Saphira's mother's name, but it did not seem right, besides, it could be a boy dragon. She asked about a few more names, but it was starting to dose off. Deciding to wait until the dragon could speak for itself, she went downstairs to eat dinner.

"What did you do all day in your room, Gwen?" Jeod asked.

"Umm… I read for a while, but mostly talked with my dragon. I am trying to find a name for it, but it is a little hard when you do not know what gender it is." Gwen replied.

"That would be a little difficult. How long will it take before the dragon starts to speak?" Helen asked.

"From what I remember in the book, it was about a month, give or take. I hope you don't mind if I stay here for a while until she is bigger. I wouldn't know where to go. Eragon mentioned Arya, but I don't think traveling to the elves is the best right now."

"Don't mind? Of course, we don't mind. We have enjoyed your company immensely. It gets a little lonely here, just the two of us and we do not have any children to come to visit," Jeod replied vehemently. "Stay as long as you like. You have already become like family to us in this short amount of time. Know that wherever being a Rider may take you, you can always visit."

She was definitely not expecting such a forceful reply and said, "Thank you. You have no idea what that means to me. It has not been easy coming here and knowing that I will never be able to go home, but you have made this so much better, I don't know if I would want to go back." She was almost in tears so touched by what he said. They went back to comfortable silence until the meal was over. Deciding there was nothing else to do, she went back to her room, changed her clothes and went to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: I would like to thank my two (only two?) reviewers for their honest criticism. I will try my hardest to put those things into practice. I do my best, but writing doesn't come easy to me, it takes a lot of work. I have noticed that as long as my grammar is great, more people will read it or am I just imagining things? Anyway, on to the story…**

Chapter 4

_Dragons were fighting, in the air and on the ground. She had white sword in her hand, coated in blood. All around her, dead bodies were scattered. The buildings across the valley were in flames; people were streaming out of them, carrying the children and the injured. Screams came from all directions. A man stood in front of her, yelling something she couldn't understand. He ran towards her, brandishing his sword. They fought. Their swords clashed and released, doing a deadly dance. She gained the upper hand after a few minutes and was able to disarm him. "Why?" she yelled. "What do you gain by doing this?"_

_He looked at her and smiled, "Everything," he said._

Gwen woke up with a start. The dream was so real; she almost believed it had happened. Her dragon stirred and looked up from its perch at the top of the pillow. It sent a questioning thought through their link.

"Bad dream," she answered. Outside, the city was still asleep save for the guards on the watchtower. She could barely see the sun starting to make its way over the horizon. Deciding that she could sleep no longer, she got up and quietly left her room with her dragon in her bag. She wrote a note to Jeod saying where she was going and ran outside. The streets were empty as she walked to the giant city portcullis. The guards were just raising it as she walked through.

After making sure she was far enough away from the city, she let her dragon out and roam about the countryside. After smelling all the new scents, the dragon started wandering this way and that, sometimes flapping her wings and floating a few feet in the air before flying back to the ground.

As the day wore on, Gwen made her dragon stay in a dense patch of trees while she went to a small village on the outskirts of the city. She bought herself some food and had a look around. It was very different from the busy life of the city. The people in this town went about their business in a more relaxed sort of way. Most of these people were farmers and many were out in their fields harvesting. She met a few of these people as they went about their business; most of them were generally kind and made polite small talk before turning back to their work.

Gwen made her way back to where her dragon was staying and was relieved to find that her dragon had managed to find her own food as she didn't have enough money to pay for enough food to feed her dragon from the village. She sat down next to it and took out the food she had bought for herself from her bag. She ate until she was full and gave the dragon the rest.

After lunch, they set out and found a secluded hill where they sat and basked in the midday sun. it was here where she pondered what she was going to do until her dragon was big enough to carry her to Du Weldenvarden, the elves' home. She obviously could not stay in Ilirea; her dragon was almost thigh-high after three days and soon would grow out of Jeod's house. Obviously she would need to go somewhere remote and had lots of wild animals for the dragon. She would have to ask Jeod where she needed to go once she got back. She let her dragon fly around a little while longer before putting her back into her bag and heading back to the city. She did not feel like going back to Jeod's so she wandered about the city for a while and happened across Angela's shop. She went inside and found Angela knitting what looked like a scarf.

"Hello there! I am so sorry my brother and I have not been able to come and visit. I have been very busy. I was going to come see you today, but you are already here. Come in, come in. Ah, I see you brought your dragon with you," her dragon had popped its head out of my bag as she spoke. "It's beautiful."

"Thank you, where is your brother?" Gwen asked.

"He is out and about, he will be here in a little bit, but for now, tell me what happened." She repeated the story of how she got her egg.

"Fascinating, I heard much of the same myself, but it is always nice to hear it from the person upon which this happened." By this time, Christopher walked in the door to Angela's shop and said, "I have always wanted to see a baby dragon. When I wrote Eragon, all I got was a detailed description from him on what Saphira looked like. It is adorable."

"I have a question to ask you. I just realized I can't stay here much longer without attracting a lot of attention from my dragon, where should I go until it is ready to fly to Du Weldenvarden?" Gwen asked.

"Hard question. Let me think on it and we will tell you later. Now, it is time to close up shop and I still have a few things to do, so this will have to be goodbye for now. I promise we will visit soon though," Angela said and ushered Gwen out the door.

Gwen walked around the city for a little while longer before heading to the palace. Maybe Nasuada would know where she should stay. The guard at the door was the same guard that brought her in the first day she was here and he recognized her.

"Gwen! How are you doing? I guess you are going to find Her Majesty? You will probably find her in her study," he gave me directions.

"Thank you, it was good to see you again." She followed his directions and found Nasuada's study. She knocked on the door once and heard a "come in" from the other side. She walked in and found Nasuada sitting at a wooden desk staring at a piece of parchment. Her office was spacious and simple with bookshelves covering every inch of wall space. Nasuada looked up from her reading, "Hello, Gwen, I didn't know you were coming today."

"I was bored and passed by. I was wondering if I could get your advice on something," Gwen said.

"Anything," Nasuada replied.

"I was thinking; I don't know what to do when my dragon gets too big that it doesn't fit in Jeod's house. What will I do?"

"You want my advice? It will be for the good of the people, not myself. I say this, not to sound like I want you to, but it is the best option. I think you need to leave Ilirea. Find somewhere more secluded, but with someone you know. The first person to come to mind is Roran, but he is in Carvahall (they rebuilt it, you know). That is the only option I can think of at the moment."

"If I were to go to Roran, how would I get there?"

"By horse, of course. Your dragon is much too young to carry you and there is no other way. If you are really considering it, I can have some of my guard escort you."

"Thank you, Your Highness. I have been thinking about this all day. I do not know this country like I thought I did. It is much different reading about it than actually being here," Gwen said and turned to leave. She had forgotten about her dragon in her bag, which had been peacefully sleeping this entire time. She went back to Jeod's house and put her dragon back in her room. She then sought Jeod out to ask him what he thought about her leaving.

When she found him and asked him, he was silent for a moment. He contemplated that question until he said, "I think it is a good idea. Of course, I don't want you to leave, but it is the best option. As for where to go, I think Nasuada's idea is the best and only option you have. Carvahall's citizens are all worthy men and women that would love to have you."

"I think it is decided then, I will go to Carvahall if Roran will have me," Gwen said resolutely. Deciding she had worn herself out, she went back to her room and slept the night away.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Sorry this is a little late, I got a new computer and I had all of my chapters on the other one. Anyway, it's kind of short, but here you go.**

Chapter 5

The air was cold as she walked outside after saying goodbye to Jeod. Today, she will be leaving for the north, to Carvahall. She made her way through the now familiar streets one last time to the palace where the guardsman she had become friends with would ride with her to her destination. Her dragon was still asleep in a bag across her shoulder while another bag was bulging on her back with all her possessions. The streets were starting to come alive with people starting their morning routines.

The palace guards were waiting for her and let her in the moment she was close to the door. She walked down the hallways to the throne room where Nasuada, Angela and Christopher were waiting.

After teary goodbyes and many wishes of luck, Gwen and the guard (whose name she learned was Halvor) were riding out of the main gate of the city. And so began her journey, to what end it may come? No one knows.

After a day of long riding, the two weary travelers stopped to rest by a nearby stream. They had said little to each other all day, preferring to ride in companionable silence. Most of the day was spent getting to know her dragon better. The said dragon had spent the day flying overhead, catching food and getting used to its wings. The dragon had still not given any word as to what gender it may be, or any communication at all besides feelings and pictures. Gwen would just have to be patient and let it come at its own time.

The fire was warm and the water was cold; the perfect end to a long and tiring day. All around them the crickets were chirping and there was a light breeze making the leaves rustle on the trees. They had just finished their soup when Halvor asked, "What was it like, where you came from?"

Gwen answered, "A lot different from here, that's for sure. We don't use horses, or candles, or swords. We don't have dragons, or magic, or elves, Urgals or any other non-human species besides animals. Our lives are centered around petty things like celebrities making up, breaking up and getting thrown in jail. All in all, I am grateful to be here."

"How do you get from one place to another without horses? Can you see in the dark with no candles? Your world confuses me."

Gwen smiled, "It confuses me too, all the time. We don't use horses, we have cars that are a lot faster than horses, can carry more people, and they are not animals. I can't explain it more than that. We have electricity that replaces candles so all you have to do is flip a switch and a light turns on."

"Why would you want to leave a place like that?"

"Because life is so much simpler here. Here, you can say 'hello' and start a conversation with anyone without thinking they have ulterior motives. People are friendly and genuinely want to help you. While I know that isn't true for everyone, you can pick out those people right from the start. I feel safe here."

"Well, we are glad to have you here."

"Thanks," Gwen said then grabbed her blanket and lay down, resting her head on top of her horse's saddle. "Goodnight, Halvor."

"Goodnight, Gwendolyn." The guard replied.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

_Gwen… Gwen… Gwen… _ a voice whispered.

"Who's there?" Gwen asked sleepily. She opened her eyes and looked around. No one was there but her dragon. _Odd, _she thought, _I thought I heard something_.

The voice whispered again, _Gwen…_

She looked over to her dragon again. Its pale eyes were staring at her with great intent. Could it be? Was her dragon learning to speak?

_Dragon, is that you?_ She asked, reaching out with her thoughts.

_Yes…_ it replied.

_I can't believe it!_ She shouted in her thought and the dragon winced. Maybe a little too loud.

_I need to name you; I can't just keep calling you 'dragon'. Are you a boy or a girl?_

_Girl… _she sounded amused.

_Hmm… what is a fitting name? I've never had to think of a name for a dragon… obviously no modern names would do like "Fifi" or "Bethany" or something. _Gwen started on mythology names. _Andromeda? Calypso? Cassiopeia? _ None of them fit. There was one name in the back of her mind. A story her mother told her a long time ago… _What about Isolde?_

_Isolde…_ _I… like…it…_ she said.

"Isolde it is, then," Gwen said out loud.

Gwen was still laying down with her eyes on Isolde. She sat up and saw Halvor walking over to them with canteens dripping with water. Gwen got up and ran over to him with a smile on her face. She had to tell someone or she would burst.

"She spoke to me! She spoke to me!" Gwen yelled to him.

"Who?" He replied with a confused look on his face.

"Isolde, my dragon!" She screamed, barely able to contain herself.

He looked over to where the dragon was sitting in awe. Gwen had gathered everything up, eager to get going again.

After Halvor had gathered his wits again, they were ready to leave. Isolde flew ahead, scouting out the area. Gwen was babbling to Halvor about what had happened while he was gone. "At first I thought I was going nuts, having this thing talking in my head, but then I looked over at Isolde…" Halvor just listened amusedly while she went on.

After she told Halvor everything she could, she turned her attention to Isolde and talked to her. Her thoughts were becoming clearer and there was no longer a pause between words.

_It's so beautiful up here, Gwen. I wish you could join me, but I am still too young. In a few more weeks, it could be possible. _Isolde said longingly.

_Don't worry, those weeks will go by sooner than you think. Trust me, I am just as excited to be up there with you as you are, _Gwen replied.

The day wore on and the miles seemed to go by like minutes. Gwen and Halvor made good time and were soon riding through the Spine. Nasuada had talked to Roran through the magic mirror so he was expecting them. What they did not know was the reception waiting for them as they made their way down the path leading to the town. It seemed as if the whole town was gathered in the square with a feast for an entire city. Roran was the first to greet Gwen, along with Katrina and their daughter. It was a weird experience for Gwen, meeting the townspeople she had read about, thinking of them only as fictional characters, and now shaking their hands and having conversations with them.

Once introductions were out of the way, the town moved to the table to enjoy the meal prepared by Katrina and a few other women. The table was filled with meats, cheeses, breads, vegetables and fruits of every kind. This was some of the best cooking Gwen had ever tasted and it made her think of her mom's cooking back home. This was the first time since she arrived that she felt homesick. The party was eventually able to suck her back into the conversation, but she was not as coherent as she was before.

Eventually the party died down as the townspeople went back to their homes. When the last few stragglers left (some being carried by others because of their drunken state) Roran showed Gwen where she would be living during her stay. He led her to the edge of town near where the mountains bordered the valley and entered a large building of stone. The entrance was like a normal house with a table and chairs, bookshelves, couches and a bed, but the odd factor of this house was towards the back. Then entire back of the house was covered in pillows of all shapes and sizes. The confused look on my face must have alerted Roran because he said, "The pillows are for your dragon. We had hoped that Eragon would use this house if he ever came to stay, but we doubt that he will ever come back. We now use it for Riders such as yourself who are waiting for their dragons to grow before heading off again. Every so often we get one of Eragon's more advanced students to stay here so we had to make the house bigger to accommodate them."

"It's perfect," was all Gwen said.

"I imagine you are quite tired from your journey, so I will let you rest," Roran said.

Roran turned to leave, but Gwen stopped him and asked, "Where will Halvor be staying?"

"At my house. Before I forget, I was wondering if you wanted a tour of Carvahall tomorrow."

Gwen replied, "I would love to. Goodnight, Roran."

"Goodnight, Gwen," Roran said and left.

Isolde had come in through a large door to the side of the house obviously meant for large dragons. While Roran and Gwen had been talking, she had crawled to the highest pillow and promptly fallen asleep.

Gwen, however, was in no state to fall asleep so she explored. First she explored the house with all of its odd mismatched furniture that somehow all managed to go together. There was a fireplace in the left corner and the bed was close enough to feel its warmth. She then examined some of the firths that covered the walls. They ranged from cities to landscapes to people. Although she did not recognize any of them, she was sure they had to be at least mentioned in the books. _It would be great to see them all_, she thought.

She thought about going outside to explore more, but decided against it. Instead she lay down on her bed and soon enough, she fell asleep listening to the crackle of the fire.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: my dear readers, I am so sorry to tell you that this is the last chapter I have written. I have been trying to continue writing while posting, but I have been so busy that I have not had time to write so while I will continue to white when I can, my postings will not be as often as I (or you) would like. Hopefully I will be able to write more in the summer but that is a while away. I am soo sorry again but I hope you like this chapter. **

Chapter 7

The morning light was streaming through the windows as Gwen woke. Isolde was already awake and jumping around on the pillows. Deciding that it looked like fun, Gwen soon joined her. This was the way that Roran found her, still in her nightgown, hair as fluffy as a lion's mane, and covered in feathers. She froze when she saw him standing at the door with an amused look on his face. Soon he was doubled over from laughing and she was joining along with him.

When they were finally in control again, she apologized for her behavior, but he waved it off and said, "That was the funniest thing I have seen for a while. A dragon and her Rider jumping up and down on pillows is hardly something you see every day. Now that you are back to your proper age, I think you might want to freshen up. There is a basin for water in the corner and I have someone coming in with hot water in a few seconds. Katrina also washed your clothes so you will be able to wear something comfortable for our tour."

As he finished explaining, a knock came from the door and a woman walked in with a large bucket of steaming water. She poured in into the basin, stopped to drop off clean clothes and a towel, then left with a small curtsy.

"I will leave now. Do you know how to get to my house; it is the next to where the table was set up?"Roran asked.

"Yes," Gwen replied.

"Then I will see you soon," he said and left.

The water was a perfect temperature as she eased herself into the basin. The woman had left a bar of soap with the towel so she was able to get cleaner than she had been the whole journey. One of the things she did miss about home was the showers.

After toweling off and getting dressed in a light summer dress, she headed outside with Isolde in tow. The town was bustling as she walked through the streets she barely remembered from last night. At one point she stopped at a baker's shop to ask him how to get to Roran and Katrina's house. He was very kind in providing directions that an obvious outsider could follow and soon she found herself at the door to their estate.

Katrina answered the door. "Come in," she said. "Please don't mind the mess. I'm afraid the baby keeps everything quite disorganized. There is breakfast on the table if you would like some and there is a chunk of meat on a platter for Isolde."

"Thank you," Gwen said and made her way to the kitchen. The house was messy, yes, but there was an organization to the messiness of it all. The baby's things were all in one corner, the laundry was in another by the sofa, and a basket with clothes to be mended was overflowing onto the floor. The baby was obviously still in bed because she was nowhere to be seen.

Gwen could smell the delicious aroma of freshly cooked food before she reached the kitchen. Isolde went straight for the meat on the floor while Gwen found a seat at the table. The food was just as delicious as it smelled as she took a bite of a blueberry scone and helped herself to some scrambled eggs. Roran, Katrina and baby Ismira soon joined her and they soon ate their fill.

When they were finished and the dishes were put away, Roran said, "I thought we would start at our farm and work our way west. I have some things I need to do while we are down there so Katrina and Ismira will be accompanying us and they will entertain you while I take care of business. Are we ready, dear?"

"One more minute," Katrina said. "I need a few things for the baby just in case."

"Well hurry up, my dear," Roran said playfully and shooed her up the stairs.

After a few minutes, everyone was ready to leave. We started at Roran's old farm. It had been rebuilt although Roran and his family no longer lived there. "The place held too many memories," he had said when Gwen had asked. "A tenant lives there now and I still go over and help with the farming."

While Gwen explored the farm with Katrina (Roran had left to do some business like he said), Isolde left to go hunt. "The farm was doing well," Katrina told Gwen. "Even though it was grown over and left alone for so long, it still had flourished after a little bit of hard work." The farm grew most of the town's grain and vegetables.

Once Roran was finished with business, they continued down the road to town. The town was rebuilt with one thing in mind: protection. An outer wall was built to protect its occupants and guard towers were stationed at every entrance. Once they passed through the gate, they made their way to Horst's house. Although the smith was not in (he was shoeing a neighbor's horse just outside town), Albreich and Baldor were at home tending to the workshop. They waved as the tour guides led Gwen inside. Elain was tending to the fire as they walked in the door, Hope on her hip.

"Roran! I wasn't expecting you until later or else I would have tidied up a bit. Oh, and I see you've brought company. I was just finishing some lunch for the boys, would you care to join?"

"Of course, Elain. Your cooking is one of the best in town, save Katrina's." Roran replied and got a kiss on the cheek from his wife.

"You're too kind. I'll just call the boys in and we can eat." Elain said then went out to the workshop.

Katrina set Ismira down with Hope in the play area and then proceeded to get bowls and utensils for everyone when Elain, Albreich and Baldor came inside. Everyone sat around their huge table and began eating (or in the guys' case scarfing) the delicious soup. The conversation was light and pleasurable, with everyone joining in and making Gwen feel like she belonged. After lunch they said their goodbyes and Elain said she would look after Ismira during her nap time.

They continued on their journey through the town by stopping at the rebuilt tavern, Gertrude's house complete with an infirmary attached and along with a few other stops, reached the end of the tour back at the Rider's cabin. Isolde was already inside waiting for Gwen on her pillows with her head on her paws.

_What took you so long?_ She asked.

_We stopped for lunch at Elain's. You could have joined us at any time, you know. _Gwen replied.

_I know, _she said, _but I would much rather nap than look at a bunch of buildings._

Out loud, Gwen turned to Roran and Katrina and said, "Thank you so much for today. I really appreciate all that you have done; you have treated me like a member of the family."

"It was nothing, really," Katrina said. "We think of all of the riders that come through as extended family. Your situation may be a bit different, but we try to make them all feel welcome. Now, we have wasted the whole day away and you must be tired. There is supper on the table and your bed has been made. Goodnight, Gwen."

"Goodnight Katrina, Roran."

The couple departed and Gwen was left alone. She recounted her day to Isolde while she ate, then, instead of using the bed, climbed onto the pillows with her dragon and fell fast asleep at her side.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I am so sorry I couldn't update. I was completely bogged down with life and school that writing kind of had to go on the back burner. I am hoping that since school is out now (YAY!) that I will have more time to write. **

**P.S. I am sorry for any misspelling of these names. Spellcheck doesn't know how to spell them and neither do I. If there is anything I did misspell, please let me know. Thanks!**

Chapter 8

The days at Carvahall flew by and soon Isolde was big enough to ride. A convoy of elves came during their stay to give them a saddle they had made since they learned of her hatching. They also insisted on escorting her to Ellesmera. It seemed to Gwen that every time she started fitting in and feeling like she was home, she had to leave again. Even her stay at Ellesmera wasn't permanent, but hopefully her stay there would be short enough to continue on without many tearful goodbyes.

The elves started teaching her the basics of Elvish customs. She had always read of the way the elves put their hand in some weird shape on their breastbone, but she never knew exactly how it went. The elves quickly changed that. They were harsh teachers that never let her get away with any mistakes. When reading, most people just make up their own way of pronouncing the weird words they see, and Gwen was no different. When she was confronted with those elvish words now, she had to pronounce them exactly right or else the elves would make her start all over again.

Isolde was learning as well. When Gwen wasn't learning with the elves, she was riding, talking or just hanging out with her. Things were quiet during her stay at Carvahall. She felt like she became part of the family at Roran and Katrina's house. There were many times where they needed to get away and left Ismira with her. They were going to miss their babysitter when she left. She also was a frequent guest at Horst and Elain's house. Albreich and Baldor had started treating her as a little sister. As much as she wanted to continue her journey, she was truly hesitant to leave Carvahall.

All things great and wonderful could not last though. Today she was leaving for Ellesmera. Her bags had been packed the night before and the saddle lay gleaming and polished on one of the chairs in her cottage. Gwen was spending her last few minutes with the people of Carvahall that she had come to call friends.

"I'm going to miss you guys so much!" Gwen cried.

"We can still communicate through the mirror," they said, trying to console her.

"I don't want to leave, who's going to watch the babies?" she asked in weak attempt to stay.

"The babies will be fine. You have a bigger role to play than just the babysitter," Katrina said. "Alagaёsia needs you more than we do. It's time for you to go."

"Thank you for everything, all of you. For taking me in and treating me like family. For putting up with me after I had been cramming my head with the Ancient Language. Thank you so much!" Gwen said her goodbyes and walked out of what had become her home.

All was eerily quiet as they made their way through the woods. Progress was slow due to Isolde's size and the elves had scarcely said a word the whole time they had been traveling. Gwen spent most of her time silently talking to Isolde and flying through the trees. Her guides had told her to stay close to them, but after three days of silence, she couldn't take it anymore. They both flew high above the tree level and soared through the clouds. She felt exhilarated as Isolde flipped and spiraled through the air. She felt weightless and wondered why anyone would want to stay on the ground when there was a whole new world right above them. They passed birds that Gwen recognized and a few she didn't.

Eventually the weather brought the two of them down for shelter from the rain. The trees were so dense that the company stayed dry through the whole storm which raised the question, "how do the plants under the canopy survive if the rain doesn't reach the ground?"

One of the elves in her convoy, Slerdrín, replied, "We do what we can to help out, but the water will reach the ground eventually. These plants have learned to survive here for thousands of years." The travelers went back to their silence.

When Gwen could no longer stand the silence, she asked, "What will be expected of me when we reach Ellesmera?"

Another guide, whose name she forgot, answered, "You will be presented to the queen and she will give you further instructions in the specifics. We were told that you would also begin training with magic. Some of our oldest spellcasters and teachers have been recruited to help prepare you for Eragon."

"Are these teachers going to go as hard on me as you have?" Gwen asked sarcastically.

"We were going easy on you compared to them," said the guide obviously missing the sarcasm.

_Take a sense of humor off their list of attributes_, Isolde said and chuckled silently through their link.

_I hope these aren't the comedians of their race_, Gwen replied.

The group traveled to the edge of Du Weldenvarden and stopped. An elf came out of the trees and greeted them in the traditional elvish greeting. After exchanging a few pleasantries, the elves stopped suddenly and turned to the sky. The sky was clear blue except for a tiny emerald spot steadily growing larger. Gwen's ears rang the green spot became a shape of wings and a body. On the dragon's back was a woman with black hair streaming behind her. The crown on her head glinted in the sunlight. The dragon touched down on near the group and immediately went to Isolde waiting only long enough to let its rider down. The rider, who Gwen recognized as Arya, came forward and said, "Greetings, Gwendolyn. I am Arya, Queen of Du Weldenvarden and fellow Rider. We have been anticipating your arrival since we were told of your unusual situation."

"Greetings, Arya Drottingü. I am so excited to finally meet you. I have always admired you and it is an honor to meet you in person." Gwen said reverently.

"It is strange to think that you know more of our story than most people who live here. I trust that you will not spill the secrets that were written in those books to anyone." She said with a royal tone.

"Don't worry, I already heard that speech from Nasuada. My lips are sealed." Gwen replied.

"Well then, I think it is time we set off. Fírnen and I will be escorting you and Isolde to Ellesméra. From there we will show you the city before getting to work." Arya turned to Fírnen as he returned from his meeting with Isolde. Isolde also came to stand with Gwen and both riders mounted their steeds. The took off with cheers coming from the elves they left behind.


End file.
